God’s righteousness requires harsh justice.

 

Sermon for Quinquagesima, February 15, 2026

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  Amen.

Joshua 7:20-26  ²⁰Achan answered Joshua, “It is true.  I am the one who has sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did: ²¹Among the plunder I saw an expensive Mesopotamian robe, a fine one, and two hundred shekels of silver and one wedge of gold—it weighed fifty shekels.  I coveted them and I took them.  Now they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, and the silver is underneath it.”  ²²So Joshua sent agents.  They ran to the tent, and there it was!  The robe was hidden in his tent, and the silver was underneath it!  ²³They took them from the middle of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel, where they poured them out before the Lord.  ²⁴Then Joshua took Achan son of Zerah and the silver, the garment, and the wedge of gold, as well as Achan’s sons and his daughters, his ox, his donkey and his flock, and his tent and everything that belonged to him—so all Israel, led by Joshua, brought them up to the Valley of Achor.  ²⁵Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on us?  The Lord will bring disaster on you this day!”  Then all Israel stoned Achan to death.  They also burned him and them with fire, and they pelted them with stones.  ²⁶They erected a large heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day.  Then the Lord turned from the heat of his anger.  For that reason the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day. (EHV)

God’s righteousness requires harsh justice.

Dear redeemed of the living God,

            To modern ears, this account might sound unnecessarily harsh or cruel.  All around us, we hear people complain about the harshness of many forms of penalty being carried out on offenders.  Some places even refuse to prosecute unless the crime reaches an established level of seriousness, perhaps a high dollar amount before theft is prosecuted for stealing.  Even more so, the breaking of certain commandments is considered minor in the grand scheme of things.  Adultery is bad if you cheat on your spouse, but we can legally dispose of a marriage partner for any reason, or none at all.  Protesting law enforcement is considered good, but who cares how many young people are shot down in the streets or raped in the shadows?

In God’s kingdom, this is never the case.  To stand in God’s presence in eternity requires perfect holiness and nothing less will do.  In other words, God’s righteousness requires harsh justice.

For a little background in the case before us, this account takes place after the fall of Jericho.  That powerful city, with its skilled warriors and impressive defensive walls, was conquered with barely any effort on Israel’s part.  Yet, a short while later, Israel’s forces were routed by a small contingent of fighters from the little city of Ai.  Israel was stunned and embarrassed.  Why would God abandon His people so soon after promising to lead them in triumph over the land?  The truth was exposed as Joshua pleaded with the Lord for an answer.

Before entering the Promised Land, and before they were given victory over Jericho, the Lord God of heaven and earth commanded Israel that “The city and everything in it will be devoted to the Lord.” (Joshua 6:17)  The entire city was to be burned to destruction and the silver, gold, bronze, and iron “are sacred to the Lord.  They must go into the treasury of the Lord.” (Joshua 6:19)  The metals which are not easily destroyed by fire were to be kept as sacred to the Lord for the use of His house.  This was God’s command to the Israelites. 

However, this is also where greed and covetousness entered the picture.  While fully understanding the Lord’s command, a man named Achan was unable to resist his desire for a few precious items.  In the grand scheme of things, it really didn’t seem like that much.  I am sure most people of our world would say “What did it matter?”  Yet, here we see what it means when God says, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)  To minds so steeped in the guilty nature, such a tiny flaw seems excusable.  However, to our Holy Almighty God, no sin of any kind is acceptable.

This morning, we review God’s commandments against coveting.  The Ninth Commandment says: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.  What does this mean?  Our catechism answers, “We should fear and love God, so that we do not craftily seek to gain our neighbor’s inheritance or home, nor get it by a show of right, but help and serve him in keeping it.”  The Tenth Commandment is like unto the Ninth except that it protects our relationships instead of property, for the Lord knows that we need both kinds of blessings to sustain us in this life.

In Achan’s sin of coveting, we see a reflection of the coveting that brought sin into the world.  Most people assume that Adam and Eve’s first sin was eating the fruit of the tree, but their true first sin was an evil desire for something the devil deceitfully promised them.  The serpent told Eve that in the eating of that forbidden fruit, “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)  Then, desiring what God had not promised, Eve ate and Adam ate with her.  Their desire led to further sin.  The same here with Achan.  He desired those bits of riches, and he stole them from the Lord.  The result, in the end, was the same.  Because Adam and Eve coveted what God had not promised, they sinned, and death entered the world.  For all mankind, God’s righteousness requires harsh justice.

The punishment for Achan might shock us.  For that little bit of theft, that small desire to get some riches for his family, he, and perhaps his whole family and livestock, were stoned, and the bodies and all his possessions burned in fire.  Stones were then piled over the ashes as a permanent reminder to the people of Israel of what happens to those who defy God. 

Now, some people might accuse God of overreacting or being harsh or judgmental.  However, such views expose the sinful nature, and don’t understand God’s holiness.  God is holiness defined.  He is righteous in everything He says and does.  His nature allows nothing less.  His authority as Creator of all that is makes God automatically right.  God’s prophets who were given a glimpse into heaven heard the angels declare, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies!  The whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)  Therefore, since God is perfectly holy and right, no sin will ever be allowed into His presence.  The account of Achan therefore becomes a warning and a promise for us.  God must punish sin with death if He would uphold His righteousness.

The story of Achan is indeed shocking and sad.  Still, that judgment pales in comparison to the condemnation in hell which is what all sinners have earned with their guilt.  You and I would face certain destruction if God had not intervened on our behalf.  Therefore, the punishment put on Achan is also a foreshadowing of what God would do for us.  By giving His own Son into destruction and death, God kept His righteousness intact while punishing our sin with death.

Achan was led before his judges along with the evidence of his guilt.  Likewise, Jesus was led before His judges bearing, not any fault of His own, but our sins and the sins of the world.  No mercy was granted.  Achan and his family were destroyed.  Likewise, the prophet would speak of Jesus’s death, “Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent in front of its shearers, he did not open his mouth.  He was taken away without a fair trial and without justice, and of his generation, who even cared?  So, he was cut off from the land of the living.  He was struck because of the rebellion of my people.” (Isaiah 53:7-8)

This is where we see God’s love for sinners like you and me.  We deserved nothing but divine retribution.  From our births we were steeped in sin, desiring things that didn’t belong to us, and sometimes taking them as well.  No, we most likely haven’t been caught stealing gold or silver from God’s house, but every sin against any commandment breaks them all.  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, St. James wrote, “In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10)  Therefore, on our own, we are just like Achan with nowhere to hide from God’s righteous justice.  Yet, that is where the similarity ends, because do not need to stand before God’s righteous anger alone; we are given a hiding place in Jesus so that no judgment will fall on us, and no condemnation awaits those who walk with Him by faith.

In his psalm, King David pleaded with the Lord, “Hide me in the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.” ((Psalm 17:8-9, NIV 1984)  In David’s plea, we are reminded of the defense we have in Jesus.  Jesus took all our guilt, all the sins of the world, and He paid the price of death for each of us, so that the eternal death, that is separation from God in hell, will never touch us. 

In His Revelation to St. John, Jesus declared, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” (Revelation 2:10-11)  Our victory comes through Jesus.  His life and death is our righteousness granted to us by faith.  We are shielded from God’s wrath for sin as the righteousness of Jesus was put over us in Baptism and kept there through faith that is nurtured by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel shared in the Christian Church.

Because Jesus came into this world to live and die on our behalf, the devil can no longer accuse us of any sin.  All our guilt was washed away as the Lord God of Creation adopted us into His family of grace at our baptisms.  That never allows us to sin freely.  Rather, it is Christ covering us and living in us that empowers us to be content with whatever our loving God provides for us. 

Through the faith the Holy Spirit worked in St. Paul, that man suffering in prison could boldly say, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, while being full or hungry, while having plenty or not enough … through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

God grant through the work of His Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament, that He keep us content in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves, so that because Jesus took the required harsh justice, we may be eternally covered in Christ’s perfection to enjoy God’s righteousness forever.  Amen.

God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever!  Amen.

The Lord takes delight in peace.

 

Sermon for Sexagesima, February 8, 2026

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.  All who do his precepts have good understanding.  Amen.

Psalm 35:11-28  ¹¹Malicious witnesses arise.  They ask me about things I do not know.  ¹²They repay me with evil instead of good.  They rob my soul of happiness.  ¹³But when they were sick, I dressed in sackcloth.  I afflicted myself with fasting.  My prayers returned unanswered.  ¹⁴I walked around mourning, as if mourning for a friend or for my brother.  I bowed down, dirty with ashes as though mourning for my mother.  ¹⁵But when I stumbled, they were happy.  They gathered together.  Yes, attackers gathered together against me though I did not expect it.  They ripped me and were never quiet.  ¹⁶Like profane mockers, they gnashed their teeth at me.  ¹⁷Lord, how long will you look on?  Restore my life from their devastating attacks, my precious life from these young lions.  ¹⁸I will give thanks to you in the great assembly.  In a large crowd I will praise you.  ¹⁹Do not let them rejoice over me—those who are my enemies without cause.  Do not let those who hate me without reason mock me.  ²⁰For they do not speak for peace, but they devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.  ²¹They also open their mouth wide against me.  They say, “Ha!  Ha!  We see with our own eyes.”  ²²Lord, you have seen all this.  Do not be silent.  Lord, do not be far from me.  ²³Wake up and rise up to my defense!  My God and Lord, rise to my cause. ²⁴Judge me according to your righteousness, O Lord, my God.  Do not let them rejoice over me.  ²⁵Do not let them say in their hearts, “Aha!  Just what we wanted!”  Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him.”  ²⁶May those who rejoice over my trouble be put to shame and disgrace.  May those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and contempt.  ²⁷May those who are pleased by my acquittal shout for joy and be glad.  May they always say, “The Lord is great.  He takes delight in the peace of his servant.”  ²⁸My tongue will report your righteousness and your praise all day long. (EHV)

The Lord takes delight in peace.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            A good share of our text recounts the pain David felt as he recalled the many ways in which the Eighth Commandment had been broken against him.  He tells of those who mocked and attacked him without cause and the maliciousness of their devious attacks.  David recounts how even though he had expressed kindness and concern for the downtrodden, some turned against him and rejoiced at his pain. 

We are not told when David wrote this psalm, but certainly, it could be when recalling King Saul’s maniacal rage against him and how the king sent whole armies after David while trying to destroy the man who had won many victories on behalf of his king.  Or, it could be when David’s own son, Absolam, tried to turn the people against David in order to steal his throne.  It could have been a time when any number of enemies conspired against David, especially later in his long reign.

In David’s recounting, we see a foreshadowing of the treatment Jesus would endure at the hands of His enemies.  Even though Jesus walked this earth in perfect obedience to God’s commands and with perfect kindness and service of His neighbors and those who came to Him, or were brought to Him, for healing, Jesus’ enemies often falsely accused Him.  They insinuated that He was in league with the devil and that’s what gave Jesus power over the demons.  They accused Jesus of conspiring to lead a rebellion against Rome, even though Jesus never showed any political ambitions.  The Sanhedrin condemned Jesus for claiming to be the Son of God, because they had decided in their hearts that Jesus was threatening their own power and political prestige.

At the same time, we may perhaps recognize some of our own sorrows as we read of the ways David was slandered and attacked.  You may have been personally slandered by those who consider the Christian faith useless or offensive.  Many in our world arrogantly announce that Christians are hypocrites because they imagine that we don’t love our neighbors as they would want us to.  You will likely be judged harshly in public opinion for any sin you commit or any weakness you might display.  The judgmental nature of the non-believer also assumes a personal righteousness that simply isn’t found in any sinner.  Yet, it is widely assumed among the wicked.

On the other hand, how often have we too been guilty of slandering another person, race, or nationality?  How often do we presume the guilt of someone else without taking into account that person’s intention or circumstance?  How often have you and I failed to put the best construction on everything?

With this text, we are also reviewing The Eighth Commandment: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.  What does this mean?  Martin Luther taught, “We should fear and love God, so that we do not lie about, betray or slander our neighbor, but excuse him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.”  In all honesty, it is truly common for this commandment to be not only broken, but shattered in our everyday existence, if not by actual deed, then for sure in our thoughts and emotions.  Social media, no matter which side we are on, is rife with slanderous accusations or insinuations, and almost all of us get caught up in those lies whether intentionally or unawares.

Like David, we pray for God’s intervention, both against those who maliciously seek to hurt us and in repentance for our own guilt.  In his despair, David pleaded, “Lord, how long will you look on?  Restore my life from their devastating attacks, my precious life from these young lions.”  He further pleaded,

Do not let them rejoice over me—those who are my enemies without cause.  Do not let those who hate me without reason mock me.  For they do not speak for peace, but they devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.  They also open their mouth wide against me.  They say, “Ha!  Ha!  We see with our own eyes.”  Lord, you have seen all this.  Do not be silent.  Lord, do not be far from me.  Wake up and rise up to my defense! 

David was fervently hoping for peace, a respite from the attacks and false accusations.  He desired peace with his enemies, but especially peace with God.  For this reason, we are taught here that The Lord takes delight in peace.  The Lord our God desires that we be at peace with each other, but more importantly at peace with Him.  That’s why He gave us the Eighth Commandment, so that every thought in our heads and ever word that comes off of our lips would honor that peace with God and neighbor.  Yet, we see how little we, or anyone else, is able to keep that peace.  Our human frailties make us too easily angered, too selfishly concerned, and often too self-righteous to put the best construction on everything. 

It appears that David was pleading for a solution in the here and now.  He said, “Do not let them rejoice over me.  Do not let them say in their hearts, ‘Aha!  Just what we wanted!’  Do not let them say, ‘We have swallowed him.’  May those who rejoice over my trouble be put to shame and disgrace.  May those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and contempt.”  You and I likely feel that way at times ourselves.  While we plea for mercy, we may inadvertently also pray for revenge.  It is because of this great weakness that God answers David’s plea in a most unexpected way.

You see, God didn’t rain down a burning sulfur fire of judgment upon David’s enemies, nor did He do that for His Son here on earth.  Meanwhile, we can sometimes see God’s hand moving against the enemies of His people, and for sure that justice will be completed on Judgment Day.  Still, notice the heart of David’s prayer, “Restore my life from their devastating attacks, my precious life from these young lions.  I will give thanks to you in the great assembly.  In a large crowd I will praise you.”  And again, “Judge me according to your righteousness, O Lord, my God.  Do not let them rejoice over me.”  It is in answer to these prayers that we see how The Lord takes delight in peace. 

Rather than sending His Son to judge the world and condemn the wicked and abusive among us, God recognized that we all need a Savior, and that is what God sent, His own beloved Son to save us.  Jesus came into our world experiencing the same flagrant abuse so common in the world, and even more, because He was truly holy and without sin.  There was never any good reason to accuse Jesus, and yet He bore those accusations without complaint.  Isaiah prophesied, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)  Encircled by rabid accusers attacking Him like young lions (as David called them), Jesus stayed silent and gave no answer to the wicked accusations against Him.  Though He had no fault or sin of His own, Jesus bore those accusations for you and me.

Instead of rendering the judgment we all deserved, God chose mercy for us, and He did that by meting out the justice we deserved upon His own dear Son who took upon Himself all the slanderous attacks you and I have ever committed.  You see, in our place, Jesus was bearing all the guilt of the slanderous accusations of all sinners.  He carried our sins as He journeyed to the cross so that the Father could deliver the death sentence the wickedness of the world deserved.

Because The Lord takes delight in peace, we plead along with David, “Judge me according to your righteousness, O Lord, my God.  Do not let them rejoice over me.”  As we look around this room, it may not appear that we are a great, huge assembly of God’s people, but we need to remember that as we gather together, as we bow in repentance for our sins, we confess before God the faith we have in Jesus as our Savior.  We gather together with all the faithful the whole earth over and with those who have entered God’s presence in heaven, praising God for His merciful kindness for He covers us with Jesus’ righteousness.

Because of Jesus, we now join in response, “May those who are pleased by my acquittal shout for joy and be glad.  May they always say, ‘The Lord is great.  He takes delight in the peace of his servant.’  My tongue will report your righteousness and your praise all day long.”  This is the song of faith that unites Christian believers, that Jesus lived, died, and rose again to remove the stain of our wickedness and the shame of guilty consciences.  Jesus lived, died, and rose again to open the gates of heaven to those of us who are assaulted by the slanderous accusations of the devil and his minions. 

Dear friends, as we consider how to live according to the Eighth Commandment, may we let David’s words from Psalm 19 be our guide and inspiration, “May the speech from my mouth and the thoughts in my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:19)  By the power of the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament, we are given saving faith in Jesus, because The Lord takes delight in peace.  Amen.

After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you.  To him be the glory and the power forever and ever.  Amen.

Live forever in the Lord’s righteousness.

 

Sermon for Septuagesima, February 1, 2026

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Psalm 37:21-29  ²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and give.  ²²So those God blesses will inherit the earth, but those he curses will be cut off.  ²³By the Lord the steps of a person are made secure.  Then he will delight in his way.  ²⁴Though he falls, he will not stay down, because the Lord holds him by his hand.  ²⁵I was a young man.  Now I am old.  But I have never seen a righteous person forsaken or his children begging for bread.  ²⁶Every day he is gracious and lends.  His children will be blessed.  ²⁷Turn back from evil and do good.  Then you will remain forever.  ²⁸For the Lord loves justice.  He will not forsake his favored ones.  They will be protected forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.  ²⁹The righteous will inherit the earth.  They will dwell on it forever. (EHV)

Live forever in the Lord’s righteousness.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            Psalm 37 is a study in contrast of the wicked and the righteous.  Here, in our sermon text, the topic is particularly our relationship with material things.  For the wicked person, that man or woman without true repentance or faith in God, the things of this world are the only things that matter.  On the other hand, those counted as righteous by God are those who have believed His Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit in that Word consider the things to come after this life as most important and most valuable to possess.  Thus, we are encouraged to Live forever in the Lord’s righteousness.

This morning, we also consider The Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal.  What does this mean?  Martin Luther explained: “We should fear and love God, so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or goods, nor get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his goods and means of making a living.”

Now, I am fairly confident that most of us present this morning would consider ourselves honest in our dealing with money and goods.  Furthermore, we are likely to be pretty generous in our giving, both to church and perhaps also to charity.  So, does that make us righteous before God?  The answer, of course, is that even doing our very best still leaves us far short of the glory of God.  The prophet, Isaiah, explained that because all of mankind is infected with inherited sin, “All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a filthy cloth.” (Isaiah 64:6)

So, going back to our text we read, “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and give.”  That sounds like we could be in the clear, doesn’t it?  Who among us would borrow without intending to repay?  However, how often do we consider that everything we possess is lent to us by God who is the owner of all creation?  It is in this very thing that we likely sin much.  People pile up money and possessions, not so that they can share with others, but for their own use or pleasure.  We pile up savings for our retirement years as if God might not provide. 

Now, of course, saving for retirement is just doing good planning, correct?  We should be wise in our planning both for retirement and for our daily business dealings.  To not plan is to plan to fail, so the saying goes, and we know that is true.  So, what kind of muddled mess are we in?  To be honest, we are sinners in a broken world and try as we might, we will never be perfect in our dealings with money or our neighbors in need.  I know I personally struggle with deciding when I should give to those who have less than me.  Do they have a real need, or are they squandering their money foolishly?  Am I helping if I give or only enabling bad behavior or addictions?  All these thoughts run through our minds and often we can’t know the answers.

But, as we read through our sermon text, did you notice all the promises God makes?  Yes, He does, indeed, condemn the wicked.  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the psalmist wrote, “those he curses will be cut off,” and “the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.”  To live apart from true righteousness will certainly lead to God pouring out His wrath upon the wicked.  Hell, with all its torments, awaits those who are not blessed with righteousness.  That is why the psalmist implores us all to “Turn back from evil and do good.”  Yet, as believing Christians, we do most definitely desire to do good.  The power of the Spirit working in us motivates us to do the good works God intends for us to do.  St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

When he was a monk trying to do everything he could to please God, Martin Luther was tormented day and night with the reality that he could never live up to the just demands of the law.  He could never live up to the righteousness of God.  However, through his dedicated study of the Scriptures, there came a day when he finally understood what God has promised us throughout His holy Word.  St. Paul made it clear in the letter to the Romans, “But now, completely apart from the law, a righteousness from God has been made known.  The Law and the Prophets testify to it.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and over all who believe.” (Romans 3:21-22) 

This external righteousness comes to us through faith in Jesus.  It is through believing in Him that we are counted holy in the courtroom of the Lord.  Once the Holy Spirit grants us this faith, then look at what God promises us through the psalmist: “By the Lord the steps of a person are made secure.  Then he will delight in his way.  Though he falls, he will not stay down, because the Lord holds him by his hand.”  Consequently, we can look at the material things of this world in a whole new light.  Now, we can trust that God will always provide and we don’t have to worry about tomorrow’s needs.  Now, when given the opportunity to be generous, it flows much easier from our hearts through our hands.

Considering the 7^th commandment that we do not steal, it is by faith that we gladly obey.  It is by faith that we make plans to use our property and goods in God-pleasing ways and according to His plans and not ours alone.  By the faith in Jesus we are given, we now truly do desire to share with the world this comforting hope, that Christ has lived and died and rose again to give us righteousness.  As you have heard many times before, “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

One thing that can never be denied is that our Lord has certainly been generous with us.  Whether we are millionaires or living in a cardboard box on the street, God has given us life.  He gives us our daily bread in whatever way that is needed.  He gives us air to breath, water and food, and oh so many other physical blessings.  Best of all, He gave His Son as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, so that no one can say that Jesus didn’t give His life for me.  Jesus Himself declared, “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Now, having become the beneficiaries of God’s mercy and generosity, hear again the promises the psalmist makes: “Those God blesses will inherit the earth, … the Lord holds him by his hand. … His children will be blessed. … Then you will remain forever.  For the Lord loves justice.  He will not forsake his favored ones. … The righteous will inherit the earth.  They will dwell on it forever.”  Amen.  Amen.  And amen.  What greater gift could God give us than His own dear Son?  How much more do we expect God to provide for us than all we need for body and life?  What greater future do we desire than to dwell with our Lord and God in heaven for all eternity?  This is where we need to keep our focus, not on any perceived daily shortcomings in wealth, but in the riches of heaven prepared for those who love God.

Jesus told His followers, “So do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?”  For the unbelievers chase after all these things.  Certainly your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-33)  What amazing generosity our God has shown us!  That no matter what our position in this life, He has granted eternal life to all those who believe in His Son.

Dear friends, as we approach the Lord our God in confession of our sins, and at the altar where He feeds us with His body and blood in the bread and wine, trust the promises God makes: that your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake, (1 John 2:12) “that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16)  Finally, from the Revelation given to St. John, we hear what our future surely holds.  He reports,

And from the throne I heard a loud voice that said, “Look!  God’s dwelling is with people.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.”  The one who was seated on the throne said to me, “Look, I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:3-5)

Dear friends, be encouraged by these words.  Live forever in the Lord’s righteousness.  Amen. 

The LORD is good.  His mercy endures forever.  His faithfulness continues through all generations.  Amen.

With the veil lifted, we are transformed.

 

Sermon for Transfiguration, January 25, 2026

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18  ⁷If the ministry that brought death (which was engraved in letters on stone) came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look directly at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (though it was fading), ⁸how will the ministry of the spirit not be much more glorious?  ⁹For if the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, the ministry that brought righteousness has even more glory.  ¹⁰In fact, in this case, what was glorious is no longer very glorious, because of the greater glory of that which surpasses it.  ¹¹Indeed, if what is fading away was glorious, how much more glorious is that which is permanent!  ¹²Therefore, since we have this kind of hope, we act with great boldness.  ¹³We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the Israelites could not continue to look at the end of the radiance, as it was fading away.  ¹⁴In spite of this, their minds were hardened.  Yes, up to the present day, the same veil remains when the Old Testament is read.  It has not been removed because it is taken away only in Christ.  ¹⁵Instead, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.  ¹⁶But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  ¹⁸But all of us who reflect the Lord’s glory with an unveiled face are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another.  This too is from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (EHV)

With the veil lifted, we are transformed.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            In the cacophony of social media concerning political unrest, law enforcement, and craziness in our troubled society, there have been many opinions thrown around of what a Christian really is.  Even many faithful believers can get caught up in the debates of what makes us good Christians.  Some contend that real Christians never sin, but I have also heard people say we have to preach more law in our churches.  Some, however, don’t want any law.   Others pretend that certain laws must take precedence over other statements in Scripture.  Still others imagine the ability to judge rightly the minds and hearts of their fellow citizens and to condemn those who maybe don’t align exactly with their own particular persuasions.

The new Christians at Corinth were being troubled by roaming teachers trying to impose a return to the old Mosaic laws as a basis for “real” Christianity.  Paul’s explanation, here, matches what Scripture teaches throughout.  We rightly teach that the Bible contains two chief doctrines, the Law and the Gospel.  Each serves its purpose.  Each is a gift of God.  Yet, the Law alone only condemns, and those stuck on the law are blinded to the Gospel.  On the other hand, trusting fully in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, we say, With the veil lifted, we are transformed.

In the first part of our text, Paul testifies concerning the glory of the law.  When God gave the law to Moses on the stone tablets, that meeting with God left Moses’ face shining with reflected glory.  The law also has glory because it comes directly from God to be a blessing to His people.  Yet, that law brings condemnation because none of us is able to obey it completely.  Because of the sin that infects our nature, we always fall short of the law’s demand for perfect, unquestioned obedience.  Even that idea of unquestioned obedience stirs up a negative reaction in the natural flesh.  Especially, when many now assume that laws were made by men, not questioning authority seems foolish.

However, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, St. Paul recognizes that the Law has glory because it is God’s will, and God being perfectly holy will always be glorious.  The problem with God’s Law is not that it is frail, corrupt, or imperfect, but that we are.  God set those parameters to protect people from each other and from the sinner within.  In addition, God gave Israel civil and ceremonial laws to keep that people separate from the pagan nations that surrounded them.  God wanted to keep them as His own holy people.

Again, however, they were not made holy to God by their perfection in obedience.  Instead, God counted them holy in the same way He counts believers holy today—through faith in Him.  The ceremonies and sacrifices all pointed forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Through the law, God made Israel aware that He provides everything needed for body and soul.  But even in those times, the law couldn’t save.  For we read, “No one will be declared righteous in his sight by works of the law, for through the law we become aware of sin.” ⁽Romans 3:20) Whenever Moses had met face to face with God, he covered the glory shining in his face when he returned to Israel’s midst.  Paul tells us that he did so to prevent them from seeing the glory fade. 

As the glory shining in Moses’ face would fade, perhaps also the respect for God’s commands would fade among the people.  Still, the glory of the law remained.

In contrast, we have been blessed with the full measure of the Gospel, and the glory of the Gospel can never fade or change.  It is an accomplished fact.  No court, no devil, no rebellious force can take away the forgiveness, righteousness, and salvation Jesus has won for us all through His life, death, and resurrection.  Through this Good News, With the veil lifted, we are transformed.

Paul wrote by the power of the Spirit, “For if the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, the ministry that brought righteousness has even more glory.  In fact, in this case, what was glorious is no longer very glorious, because of the greater glory of that which surpasses it.  Indeed, if what is fading away was glorious, how much more glorious is that which is permanent!”

The original apostles were sent out to the world with the Good News of free salvation to all people through Christ Jesus.  It is God’s gift to all who believe His Word and the Promise of His Son.  But one thing to remember is that even that faith is not a work of law but rather a gift of the Holy Spirit.  And, that is a truth that many people in our times struggle to accept.  There is an element of our old nature that clings to the law, misunderstanding that obedience must come before faith.

When Paul wrote this letter, the mistake he was addressing was the false teaching that the old ceremonial laws were required for salvation.  The danger for people of our time is that the same veil still clouds their minds.  Some ways that the veil is still evident is when people decree that you must make a decision for Jesus.  Or if they say you must love like Jesus.  Or when they use Jesus mostly as someone to be imitated rather than trusted.  There are many today who use the Bible primarily as a self-help book.  Again, that is not faith in the Savior.

So, what makes the difference and what has changed us?  The difference lies in trusting that the Holy Spirit has worked saving faith in us through the power of His Holy Word.  To the Roman congregation, Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes—to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed by faith, for faith, just as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)  Again we read, “Therefore, since we have this kind of hope, we act with great boldness.  We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face, so that the Israelites could not continue to look at the end of the radiance, as it was fading away.  In spite of this, their minds were hardened.  Yes, up to the present day, the same veil remains when the Old Testament is read.  It has not been removed because it is taken away only in Christ.” 

We are transformed by the Good News of Jesus living for us, dying in our place, and rising to give us life.  We are transformed not by our choice or decision, or even any effort whether before or after we believe in Jesus.  We are transformed by the grace of God given to us and worked in us by the Holy Spirit.  Again, the Spirit caused Paul to write, “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  Just as he writes elsewhere, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

Those who focus on the law, no matter what denomination, religion, or intention are stuck under the veil.  When the focus is law, the result is condemnation because the law cannot save.  That doesn’t take away its glory.  Nor is it without purpose or use in our day.  As believers who have been transformed by the Gospel, the law for us becomes a guide, showing us what God would have us be for our neighbors, but never as servants in chains.  Rather, “Whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  But all of us who reflect the Lord’s glory with an unveiled face are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another.  This too is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 

No one has ever turned to the Lord on his own volition; that always comes by the work of the Spirit in the Gospel.  Still, With the veil lifted, we are transformed.  No longer are we counted as rebels and sinners before God.  Nor do faithful believers in Christ want to persist in sin.  We acknowledge that we still falter and fall in our natural bodies, but our persistent plea is for the Lord to continue to grow our faith in Jesus and to teach us to live according to His will.  These aren’t personal decisions we make but the Spirit of the Lord dwelling in us that transforms our hearts and minds to live for God in service to our fellow man and in full trust in God’s love and mercy for each of us.

As we continue our review of the catechism, it is important that we understand the difference between law and Gospel.  The law tells us what God commands us to believe, think, and do, and what we should not believe, think, or do.  Still, we all “fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

On the other hand, through the Gospel, the Good News of all the Triune God has done and continues to do for us, we believers in Jesus “are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another.  This too is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  Consequently, in Jesus’ love for us, we can say with full confidence that since the Spirit has lifted the veil, we are transformed in the righteousness of Christ.  Amen.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father—to him be the glory and the power forever.  Amen.

It is good not to be alone.

 

Sermon for Epiphany 2, January 18, 2026

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior, Bridegroom, and Lord.  Amen.

Genesis 2:18-25  ¹⁸The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is a suitable partner for him.”  ¹⁹Out of the soil, the Lord God had formed every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them.  Whatever the man called every living creature, that became its name.  ²⁰The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal, but for Adam no helper was found who was a suitable partner for him.  ²¹The Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep.  As the man slept, the Lord God took a rib and closed up the flesh where it had been.  ²²The Lord God built a woman from the rib that he had taken from the man and brought her to the man.  ²³The man said, “Now this one is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.  She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.  ²⁴For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will remain united with his wife, and they will become one flesh.”  ²⁵They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. (EHV)

It is good not to be alone.

Dear fellow believers dressed in wedding-white,

            Preaching on marriage in today’s world can feel a bit like taking a walk in a mine field.  You never know when you might hit a spot that blows up on you.  Still, God’s Word indicates that this teaching is highly important, so we are assured God’s blessing if we approach marriage faithfully.  Today’s text teaches us that It is good not to be alone.

As God created the world and everything in it, He came to the peak of His creation which is mankind.  This text is not a second creation account but rather, it gives further insight to how God created man on the sixth day.  With our modern, rationalistic minds, it might be hard to comprehend how all of this could happen in one day, but we again realize that God is God and He does not lie.  Therefore, we trust that the Holy Spirit gave Moses the exact history as he wrote this account.

As we begin, notice how God emphasizes for Adam and for us, the importance of marriage.  The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is a suitable partner for him.”  God paraded all the animals of creation before Adam so that Adam would recognize the value of the person God would soon give him.  It is not simply that a man needs company, but that a man alone cannot fulfil what God intends for mankind.  We could explain it as a need for a mate to reproduce, but I am convinced that God’s intention flows far deeper than just that.

As we explore this connection, we learn what God means by the term “helper.”  The woman God built up (and yes that is the literal translation of the word) out of Adam’s rib would be the exact complement for his need.  Eve was created in such a way that Adam would instantly recognize the perfection of her fit with him.  She would be his perfect complement physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Since God began the creation of woman by taking out of Adam’s side, the woman would be, both, of the same kind as man, yet be built differently as well.  Equal in value before God, equally created in God’s image, yet formed with some differing attributes to serve a complementary role in human existence.  We see the result as Adam rejoiced when he met this newly created woman.  He said, “Now this one is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.  She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.  For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will remain united with his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect harmony with each other and with God.  In those first days after creation, they lacked nothing.  With no sin to trouble them, being naked gave them no thought of shame or lust or any other emotion contrary to God’s will.  Of course, I think all of us have heard how sin entered the world and consequently, that perfect holiness and peace was shattered. 

Immediately after they were corrupted by sin, bitter accusations flew between the two and against God.  Death entered the world because of sin.  Ever since, sinful lusts and desires have corrupted God’s good will for marriage.  Men and women often struggle to find that partner who is an ideal fit for them.  In addition, the devil’s deceptions have caused people to seek the good things of marriage apart from the relationship God instituted to provide those good things. 

In our times, many people listening to the devil’s deceits and our own corrupted desires and thoughts come together in physical union before marriage.  Others seek happiness in breaking the union they have asked God to bless so they can seek contentment elsewhere.  Same sex unions and polygamous marriages are again falsely imagined as being equally beneficial. 

However, these corruptions aren’t new.  They come from a lack of trust in God.  While listing the extensive ways people sin against God in marriage matters, St. Paul wrote, “As they followed the sinful desires of their hearts, God handed them over to the impurity of degrading their own bodies among themselves.  Such people have traded the truth about God for the lie, worshipping and serving the creation rather than the Creator, who is worthy of praise forever. … For this reason God handed them over to disgraceful passions.” (Romans 1:24-26)  Just as so much of the ancient world sought pleasure in sexual immorality rather than to preserve the marital relationship in a God pleasing way, so such deviations have become even more common in our times.

For just this reason, God built a fence around marriage for the good of those who will follow Him.  In The Sixth Commandment, God declared, “You shall not commit adultery.”  What does this mean?  The catechism explains, “We should fear and love God, so that we lead a chaste and decent life in word and deed, and that husband and wife each love and honor the other.”  God intended that man and woman would honor the marriage bed even before they find someone to marry.  He intended this union to be a one man with one woman arrangement for as long as they both should live.  As Jesus declared, “The two will become one flesh.  So they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mark 10:8-9)

Among the many beneficial reasons God gave marriage to mankind, God wanted marriage protected from our evil desires for an eternal reason.  In His Word to mankind, God compares marriage to the union He would reestablish with those who believe in Hims for forgiveness and salvation.  In the Old Testament, there were many times when God identifies Himself as a husband for the Children of Israel.  In other words, God had chosen that people as His own beloved Bride upon whom He could pour out blessing after blessing.  He would protect and provide for them, guard them against all enemy forces, provide them with a glorious bridal gown of righteousness, and build them into a great kingdom of uncountable numbers.

Unfortunately, Israel often turned away from God to prostitute themselves with idols and the desires of the world.  Time and again God called for that nation to return to Him for forgiveness and peace.  Through Jeremiah, God pleaded, “Return, unfaithful people,” declares the Lord, “because I am your husband.  I will take you—one from a city, two from a family—and bring you to Zion.” (Jeremiah 3:14)

So, what does all this mean to you and me.  First, God protects marriage in this commandment, in order to protect those of us He loves.  It is God’s desire that our relationships on earth reflect the perfection and peace we have with Him through faith in Jesus Christ.  The New Testament equates the Christian Church as a bride for God’s Son.  The Church is made holy and radiant through the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  Therefore, inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul implores us, “Flee from sexual immorality!  Every sin that a person commits is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.  Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.  Therefore glorify God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

Today, as we compare our marriages to the perfection God planned for us and the perfection He promises through union with His Son, we all have to admit that we fail.  We have lusted in our hearts.  We have failed to love our wives as perfectly as we should, and wives have failed to submit to their husbands as perfectly as they should.  Too many people have pretended that so-called trial marriage (or living together without marriage) is a good thing.  Others have promised to love until death parts them but soon let the world and frustrations drive them apart.  None of us can claim holiness through obedience to the command.  That is why we need Jesus.  That is why It is good not to be alone.

To be alone without Jesus is to subject ourselves to the eternal condemnation we deserve.  However, Jesus has been ever faithful to His promise of love for all of us sinners.  God’s Son came into this world to be the scapegoat who bore our sins away.  By His perfect obedience to all the commands and to His Father’s will, Jesus has provided us with a royal wedding dress that far surpasses even the most elaborate royal wedding gown that has ever been seen on earth.  Dressed in the righteousness of Jesus, the Christian Church will shine in heaven with the glory of God for Christ has covered us with His holiness and made us, His Bride, the most beautiful of all creation.

Now, because sin has corrupted the world, not every man nor every woman will find the perfect match.  Some may never desire to be joined with another person in marriage.  God has His plan for each of us.  At the same time, God invites every person on earth to believe in the love He has for us in His Son, Jesus.  Through prophets, apostles, and evangelists, through pastors and teachers, mothers and fathers, the call has gone out to the world to come into relationship with our One true love who will never leave us and never fail us.  Through His prophet, the Lord our God has declared, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.  I have drawn you with mercy.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

By the power of the Gospel and the water and Word of Baptism, God has drawn to Himself a holy Bride, people like you and me made holy by the blood He shed for all on the cross.  Again, He invites us to dwell with Him to be healed of all sin, and to remember that with Christ Jesus, It is good not to be alone.  Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.